Category: Sports

The good news for the 32 teams in the NFL league is that it would be having $10 million extra to spend as the free agency will kick start in March 2016. ESPN reports that the salary cap will be up by minimum $150 million by next year. The teams were kept informed that the cap may come up to $153.4 million. Last year the salary cap was set at 143.28 million and if it goes on the lines as predicted the cap will be $10.12 million hike. Though, the exact figures will not be released until March next year. Normally the estimation is given in advance to the 32 teams in the NFL so that they can plan for the season ahead.

Spotrac has predicted that teams like Miami, Buffalo, and New Orleans will expect to be more than the cap as they move into 2016. Similarly Raiders, Buccaneers, and Bears are also expected to enjoy higher cap space. If the cap is more than $150 million, then it is double the figure of 2003. The salary cap in 2003 was $75 million, 2004 saw a rise of $5.58 million, 2005 set it at $85.5 million, in 2006 it was $102 million, 2007 it reached $109 million, 2008 it amounted to $116 million, 2009 touched $123 million, 2010 it was uncapped, 2011 the amount rose to $120.6 million, 2013 saw a hike of around 3 million, 2014 it reached $133 million, 2015 it was $143.28 million and the projected figure for 2016 is $153.4 million.

Zack Greinke was making a tough decision of choosing between Dodgers and Giants. On Friday night, he reached an understanding with Diamondbacks. Moreover, it is reported that they want to enhance their starting rotation, but yet they are not sure to what limits they can push. But it seems that they are far from what other teams are willing to go. It is a known fact that David Price scored a good deal when compared to any pitcher had ever done with a superior average yearly salary pack. But the topper remains Greinke with a score of $3 million per.

All this goes to prove that Fantasy Baseball is not behind. Around 20 can move into 2016 from Kershaw to Carrasco. Though Greinke cannot be called a runaway as in 2015 as cannot be called a strikeout player and any slip can put him in the middle. Now the current deal only enhances the slippage chance for the reason that he is entering the team with higher odds for controversy. The truth is that the Diambondback pitcher was their soft spot until last year. Though there is no offense in the lineup that is spearheaded by A J Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt and the fact cannot be denied that they over scored Dodgers by 50 runs the previous year.

The fact is that they still lack the lead that Greinke gave them and were in need of an efficient setup man. Though there is still time to overcome this flaw and the offseason will give them the time to work on it after making a huge investment on Greinke.

Class action status was granted to two lawsuits on Friday by the federal judge that include Jeffrey Kessler’s that challenges the NCAA rules limiting the compensation amount for college athletes. The certification has given an opportunity for the lawsuits to move ahead against NCAA and its conferences that are sued in lieu of Football Bowl Subdivision’s football and basketball players of Division I. With the certification more pressure is on the NCAA to find a solution on compensating college athletes.

The complainants had it that NCAA and the schools are violating the antitrust law by forcing a cap on the money athletes can get from the school. Now without any cap, the schools will offer generous scholarships argued the plaintiff. The US District Judge Claudia Wilken was convinced that the issue is common. Moreover, another argument kept forth by the NCAA and FBS conferences is that the ‘substitution effect’ and ‘economics of superstars’ will affect some athletes though it can benefit a few giving an advantage to a few players to receive more than their due scholarship.

Wilken said the assumptions of NCAA are not backed as schools cannot spend money on student-athlete compensation instead of reducing the payment of others. The NCAA and conferences made their point that the injunction can only increase the expenditure of FBS and schools belonging to Division I will not participate at this level or will cut on their costs like offering fewer scholarships. Wilken added that the defendants have made their point that any hike in student athlete compensation can only result based on an injunction that would demand the schools to set off the cost by disfavoring particular members of the community.

She furthered that the court did not find any basis for these assumptions as per the previous behavior of the schools and alternative fund availability. Kessler is a renowned sports attorney who was instrumental in bringing free agency to NFL. He was also responsible for bringing in former football player from Clemson Martin Jenkins into the lawsuit. He also added two more plaintiffs, Nigel Hayes, and Alec James both from Wisconsin.